Lets talk about soil PH - New soil- out of the bag

OK, I mixed Vic's super soil.

I also bought happy frog.

I am ashamed to admit it, but I never thought about testing the runoff PH of the soil in the pot I'm gunna use for my plant, without the plant in there yet. But a generout amount of soil.

I tested the PH of my reverse osmosis water out of the tap (it was 7.4).

Then I saturated both 4 inch square 4 inch deep pots withe the RO water and collected the runoff.

The PH of the runoff from Vic's super soil was 5.75 and the PH of the runoff from Happy frog was 4.9.

I really just wanted to use the happy frog so I can run nutes (i always get recomendations of not using any nutes in conjunction with those organic additives in he Vic's) so what I did is I added a fair amount of dolomite lime to the soil and its coming out at 6.4 now. So today I actually used the happy frog with lime added. I planted 2 rockwool cube clones in this soil in these small pots.

I really think that some of the troubles I've had in my growing has been due to crappy PH soil.

And I'm wondering if I might hurt somethingi f I put too much lime in.

what are your experiences, guys?

 

The product I added to it is called "Garden lime fast acting dolomite". I think its clay balls which are rolled over the dolomite lime.

I added about 3 tablespoons to 1 gallon soil. I disolved the stuff as best I could in a cup of water and I watered it into the soil and mixed it good in a sink before I put it in the pots.

Its still a crap shoot. The PH of the runoff does not come out between 6.2 and 6.8, its coming out at like 5.8.

I've been growing in soil for 5 months and I don't think I've had a proper PH except by accident.

I've spent tons and tons of time PHing my RO water, but if the soil is way off WTF difference does it make.

Makes me want to stop persuing soil and just switch to hydro

 

Wow thanks +rep

 

Over the past 5 months I've repeatedly diagnosed my plants with PH problem. The leaves tell the sory over and over again. It never gets too bad because I'm alsways working on it and the PH never goes TOO bad out of wack.

What do you guys do to react to ph issues or to proactively contain them? Do you use certain soil/hydro/ what do you do???